City Of Tulsa Looks To Add More Dispatchers

This week honors first responders who are the first voice you hear when you call 911.

They're answering on average 1,500 calls every day. 

“I kind of fell into the position and then I just fell in love with it. I didn’t think I would be here for another ten years, but now I’m hooked," said Sarah Bates.

Bates is one of about 75 people keeping the city of Tulsa's call center going but they're understaffed, needing nearly 30 more workers.

“We’re having to get creative with our scheduling to get the people that we need here. Calling in people on their time off. Staying late just to make sure that we have enough people here to answer those calls," said Bates.

She said this is the highest number of job openings Tulsa's call center has had. Now, they're hoping to find people who can start right away. 

“It takes a specific type of person to do this job because you do hear some really hard things and you have to be able to process that and move on to the next call," said Bates.

Bates said even though she rarely gets the chance to meet the person on the other end of the call, the work is rewarding. 

“Be the calm voice on the other end of the line when they’re in their worst circumstances. So it’s really important to have the right people here," said Bates.

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